


Get in Loser, We're Going Simping- (Undertale Mall Au x Reader)

by AstroWritesStuff



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dancetale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Fellswap (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Horrortale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Outertale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), F/M, Gastertale - Freeform, Other, Slow Burn, for most of them anyway, mafiatale, slow updates because my brain is mean, undertale - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28511922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstroWritesStuff/pseuds/AstroWritesStuff
Summary: The first-ever mall co-run by humans and monsters was all over social media. The sights and the stands were all anyone was posting about. You made a desperate call to your friend, begging her to take you. She reluctantly agrees and you both travel there...What you weren't expecting to do is accidentally break a fish tank in the aquarium and cause thousands of dollars in property damage...looks like you're stuck here in a work contract, paying off your debt...Oh yeah, and all of your co-workers are skeletons. Have fun!
Relationships: My entire skeleman crew/you, Papyrus (Undertale)/Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Reader, X Reader - Relationship
Comments: 20
Kudos: 36





	1. The One Where You Destroy an Aquarium-

**Author's Note:**

> Aw, snap. Here we go again-  
> This is purely off the wall and spur of the moment. Is there plot? Who knows. Maybe if you squint-  
> Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it!

"Come onnnnnnn, it will be funnnnnn!" You whined into the phone. Your friend sighed. "That's so far away from where we live though, it's like a day trip! Who wants to go on a day trip just to shop at a mall?"

You inhaled.

"Wait, don't answer that. Fine fine, I'll drive you." Astro huffed. You did a little happy dance in your room. "Yaaaay! We're going to have so much fun, dude!" You hollered into the phone. "Ah, geez. My ears, man. Ok ok. I'll be over in a few. Get your stuff together. Gah, I can't believe I'm doing this."

You excitedly yelled thanks once more into the phone and hung up. Yes!!! The new mall was all over social media. It being the first-ever monster/human-run mall and all. You've been dying to check it out, and now this was your chance.

You scrambled to find your bag, flinging your favorite clothes and everything else you'd need for a day trip inside of it. Wait, don't forget your toothbrush!! You zipped into the bathroom, grabbing your essentials.

Three simple knocks came from your front door.

She's here!

You quickly threw the extra stuff into your bag and zipped it up, grabbing the handle and marching to your front door. "You're excited." Astro said, blinking in surprise at you throwing the door open. "Yep!" You held up your bag. "I'm ready to go!"

She sighed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Let's get this over with..." She sighed, but the smile on her face betrayed her words. You knew she was just as excited as you were. You placed your bag in the back seat and hopped into the passenger seat. "Buckle up." Astro said, pulling out of your driveway. You complied, strapping it around yourself. "Let's go!" You beamed, turning up the radio.

\---------

It had been four hours but you were finally there. Ebott city. A small town that grew into a big city after the monsters came above ground. "Look! I can see the mall from here!" You exclaimed, pointing out of the window, some McDonalds fries falling from your lap and into the floor (You both got hungry, ok?). "I see it. Wow.....It's gigantic." Astro said as she switched lanes.

It was huge. White walls with sleek glass panes towering into the sky with metallic black paneling lining the sides. "Look at the dome at the top..." Astro muttered, nodding at the very top of the building. "Think it's an imax?" You asked, marveling at the sheer size of it as you got closer and closer to it. "Dunno, could be....All this traffic makes me nervous..." Astro mumbled, turning down the radio. "Why'd you turn down the music?" You questioned. "I need to concentrate." She hushed. You giggled. "You need silence to drive in traffic?"

She waved a hand at you. "Keep talking, see what happens...." She mumbled, turning into the street that leads to the mall. "Now to find a parking space...." She mused, pulling into the parking garage. "Try to find something by the doors. I hate walking." You whined. She shot you a look. "The mall is enormous and you're worried about walking to the doors?" You stuck your tongue out at her. It took driving up a few levels before you finally found a space. "Remember level 5. Row 23." Astro said. You pulled out your phone and snapped a photo. "Consider it memorized." You joked.

You both walked over to the elevator doors, guarded by a wolf monster. He tipped his hat. "Welcome to Ebott City Mall." He said, pressing a button and opening the elevator for you. Astro nodded and smiled at him before quickly scuttling into the elevator. You followed suit.

"That was the worst polite smile I've ever seen." You mused, taking in the funky colored carpet under your feet. "I was nervous. I'd like to see you do better." Astro jabbed back, fidgeting with the ends of her jacket's sleeves. "Don't worry. I'm sure there's plenty of quiet places to chillax if we feel too anxious." You said, patting her shoulder. She nodded. "I'll be fine. Just got to prepare myself for all the people..."

When the elevator stopped and opened you both gasped. If you thought the outside was huge, it was like it's own little city on the inside. "Are those...twinkling rocks?" You questioned, pointing up at the ceiling. The ceiling was high above you, glittering purple and blue rocks reflecting light everywhere, layers and layers of railings and stairs/escalators clinging the edges of them.

"I...think so?" Astro raised an eyebrow. "This place is amazing!" You said, grabbing her arm and pulling her along with you. "Where should we go first?" You asked. Astro's eyes scanned the various shops. "I...don't know...Maybe we should find a map or something?" She said, stopping you by a stand with maps in them. "Good idea." You said, yanking one from the shelf and unrolling it. "Wow. Even the maps are big." Astro said, helping you hold the large piece of paper. "They have a hotel?!!?!? Inside the mall???" You sputtered. "Looks like we found where we can stay for the night..." Astro blinked. "No kidding..."

"First time here?" A low voice asked. You both looked up from the map and saw a short skeleton man in a blue jacket draped over the map stand. "Uh, yeah..." Astro said. You scanned the front of the desk. "Wait, are the maps free? Or did I totally just open up merchandise in front of you without paying...?" You asked. The skeleton closed one of his eye sockets (How he did that you have no idea). "These are actually super rare limited edition maps. One hundred dollars." He mumbled. You blanched, shooting a look at Astro. "I think he's kidding...." She said. The skeleton monster chuckled. "Yeah, I am. They're free." He sat up from the table and put his chin in his hand. "Try not to lose your way around." He winked again, laying his head back down on the table.

"That was weird." Astro whispered. You made a face. "I dunno. I thought it was kinda funny...." You mused, scanning the various shops in the area. "How about a simple clothing store to start off with?" Astro suggested, pointing to a shop at the side of you. "Extravagantly Stitched? What kind of name is that?" You made a face. "No...Let's try....hmmm...." It really was overwhelming.... The sheer amount of choices....

"Are you hungry? We could start with food." Astro suggested, pointing ahead towards the food court. "You know....yeah, let's go with that. I'm a little thirsty." You said, scanning the small list of food stalls on the map's information page. "Oh! A bubble tea stand!" You exclaimed. Astro smiled. "Let's go!"

You both maneuvered through the crowd of humans and monsters alike, making your way to the food stalls. "Oh my word, do you smell that?" Astro said, taking a big sniff. You did the same. She was right. The smell was heavenly. "Which one is it coming from...?" You asked, scanning the food stalls. "I think it's coming from over here." Astro nodded, motioning to a taco stand. "Should we...trust mall tacos?" You raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. Let's go see."

You both followed the scent of the seasoned dishes, mouths watering. "There's a bit of a line..." Astro said, looking to you. You shrugged. "I don't mind waiting for a bit. It will give us some time to look over the map some more." You said, flipping through the food court information. "Oh, look. They have an aquarium. Let's head there next!" You excitedly exclaimed, finger tapping the area on the map. Astro leaned over and scanned the map. "That's literally two stories up." She grumbled.

"Gives us a chance to walk off our food! Come onnnn." You whined, shaking her arm a bit. "Shh, it's our turn." Astro said, nudging your side with her elbow. "GREETINGS! WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ORDER?!" You both paused at the sight of who was at the counter. Didn't you both just get done talking with him...? No...This guy was different.

His glimmering blue eyelights trained on you, waiting to hear your order. He seemed to raises his...browbone, as if urging you to tell him. "Ah, yeah...I'd like...." You quickly scanned the menu, trying to find something that would fit your taste. "Honestly...can we just have...whatever's popular? Or what you think is best?" You nervously said, scratching the back of your head. This seemed to be the right thing to say because the skeletons eyelights expanded and then formed into big blue stars. "OF COURSE! I KNOW ALL OF THE BEST OPTIONS! Eventhoughallofourchoicesaregeat- I WILL GET THAT FOR YOU IMMEDIATELY!" He exclaimed, voice surprisingly deep for such a small guy.

"You think they're related?" Astro leaned over, whispering in your ear. You shrugged. "I dunno. They look pretty similar though. Minus the eye...lights?" You said aloud. You both shuffled in place as you stood outside the food stall. "Wonder what he picked out..."

Looks like you won't have to wonder long, because he came back, a tray in each hand. "TWO ORDERS OF MY WORLD FAMOUS TACOS...Well...Maybe not world-famous...but...THEY'RE REALLY GOOD! HERE!" He enthusiastically thrust both trays towards you, a wide smile on his face. You gave him a grin of your own, taking the food. Thank you very much." You nodded. Astro awkwardly pulled some cash out of her wallet and slid it onto the counter. "Thanks." She muttered, already walking away to find you both a table to sit at. You nodded at the short skeleton once more before walking after your friend. "That was real smooth." You joked, setting your food down at her selected table. "Oh hush it." She waved, stuffing her walled back into her purse. You both dug into your meal, eager to see how it would taste. "You know..." Astro said, chewing thoughtfully. "It's not half bad." You took another big bite. "It's more than that, it's excellent!" You exclaimed. You both finished your meal with haste. After eating you patted your belly. "Ok, that was good. Now, aquarium time!" You exclaimed, shooting out of your seat. "Geez. Hold on a minute!" Astro grumbled, quickly grabbing all of her belongings and putting the trays on the designated rack. "Ok ok..." She said, returning to you. You grabbed her hand. "To the escalators!" You yelled, pulling her along to the nearest one. "These things make me nervous." Astro said, quickly jumping onto a step. You did the same, hopping onto a step behind hers. "I like them." You simply smiled.

As you traveled through the different floors you both couldn't help yourselves, stopping a bit to shop for random goodies. "No more. Or I won't be able to walk." Astro complained as she switched a bag from one hand to the other, red marks indicating the bag's weight. "Ok ok. Do you think we should book a room first then? Drop our stuff off there first?" You asked. Astro stubbornly switched the bag from one hand to the other again. "No. We'll be fine for now. Besides. I'm kinda getting sick of all these escalators. Seriously. How many floors are there?!" She grumbled. You sighed, picking up your own bags. "Fine. The map said that it should be around here somewhere...."

You both rounded the corner and gasped. It was gorgeous. The entry to the aquarium was built into the wall, Glass panes arching into a beautiful wave shape. "Ohh, they even have cool carpet. Look." Astro pointed. You glanced down at your feet. Sure enough, the black carpet was littered with a neon bubble pattern. "Let's head inside then." You said, walking under the cool archway. It was even more breath-taking on the inside. The walls and ceiling were made of glass, letting you watch as fish and various other creatures swam around you. "Ahhh, look! A manta ray!" You exclaimed as the mentioned creature flapped along the edges of the tank. "Sea pancakes!" You hear Astro mutter. A loud snort pulls you both out of your awed wonder. It was another skeleton. Only this one was different than the others. He stood a few feet taller and seemed lankier. Skinnier. If that made any sense. He smirked at you both with tired eyes, chin resting on his hands that he had propped on top of a mops handle. "Sea pancake?" He sniggered. Your brows furrowed together for a moment as you took in his appearance. His uniform. Ah. Janitor. "Uh, yeah..." You said, pulling Astro along further into the aquarium. Both of you ooh-ed and aahh-ed at the various fish and creatures that swam around you, not noticing the janitor that meandered behind you both. "Shut up, is that a dolphin!" You gasped.

You both watched in amazement as the dolphin cheerfully spun around through the water.

That's when disaster struck.

"Are FINding the aquarium up to your standards?"

It was the janitor from before, suddenly leaning in between you both with an amused expression.

It probably would have been funny had you and Astro not screamed and flung the bags you were both holding in surprise.

It was almost beautiful really, the way your bags sailed through the air; contents flying into the window pane of the display.

𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒

All three of you paused. "That's not good." You uttered. All of you cringed as the cracking noises continued, a creaking noise heard from deep withing the tank.

Suddenly water forced it's way through, a giant wave of water finally shattering the glass and heading toward you.

"OH SH-"

And then you were hit.


	2. The One Where You're In Debt...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *the one chapter where I pull a ohshc*  
> After finding yourself breaking a million-dollar fish tank, the only way to pay off your debt is...work for them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support so far! Each comment means a lot to me!

You opened your eyes, gasping for breath. "ASTRO?!" You sat up, seaweed swinging down from the top of your head and slapping you in the face. 

"I'm ok." You heard her cough, sitting up in her own little puddle of water. "What...happened?" You uttered. You head a snigger from your right and turned. The skeleton janitor from before sat laying on the floor, seaweed comically draped across his skull. "Man...I'm gonna have to clean all of this up..." He tiredly sighed, pulling a bottle of honey out of his pocket and uncapping it; taking a long sip.

You and Astro paused, staring at him. 𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘯. 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘯-

"WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE?!?!" A shrill voice shrieked. All three of you turned your heads to see yet ANOTHER skeleton at the end of the hall, radiating anger.

That can't be good."

"Oh...Hey Boss...." The janitor sighed, not bothering to sit up from the puddle he was in. The angry skeleton started stomping down the hall towards you guys, giving you a better view of his outfit. He was a security guard. Great. That's what you need. A seething skeletal security guard in high heels storming towards you....

"Care To Explain Why The FISH TANK IS IN RUIN AND THERE'S WATER EVERYWHERE??!?!" The heeled skeleton shrieked, stomping his feet like an angry toddler. The janitor finally rolled himself up into a sitting position, brushing the seaweed from his face as if it were hair. He batted his non-existent eyelids at the seething guard. "It was...an accident?"

This only seemed to grind the angry skeleton's gears even more. "STRETCH!!!" The janitor held up his hands. "Ok ok, hold on..." He slowly pushed himself off the ground and pulled the seaweed off of his head. "It was an accident. Really. These two lovelies were just admiring the *ahem* sea pancakes and then..." He glanced over at you. "Well...that much is obvious..." He smirked. 

This only made the guard fume. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'THAT MUCH IS OBVIOUS'?!?! THE MILLION DOLLAR FISHTANK IS IN RUINS!!!" 

Everything else seemed to fade away, you felt like the floor gave out from under you and your heartbeat thudded in your ears....

"Million...dollar?"

_____________

You stared at the hotel's luxury red carpeting as you clutched the edges of the towel wrapped around your shoulders. "Are you even listening to me?" The guard, who you now know as 'Boss' exclaimed. You blinked out of your stupor, "Uh, yes. Sorry. Please continue." 

Astro (wrapped in her own towel) gave you a look of concern. "Hey, you ok?" She whispered. You nodded, focusing on Boss. He glared at you a moment longer before resuming his angry pacing. "NOT ONLY DID YOU BREAK THE GLASS BUT YOU ALSO GOT WATER EVERYWHERE-" 

Stretch snorted from where he stood a few feet away, leaning against the wall. "That's how it works Boss. You break the container and all the stuff will come out..."

Boss pinched his nasal bone and tapped his foot. "Stretch, don't think I've forgotten your part in all of this. You're not getting off easy this time." Just then the short skeleton from the map stand walked in. "What's this I hear about the aquarium?" He asks, eyes meeting yours. You think for a second he'll get angry with you as well but his face breaks into a lazy smile as he joins Stretch in leaning on the counter.

"SANS. STRETCH AND THESE TWO-" He aggressively points in Astro's and your direction. "HOOLIGANS UTTERLY DESTROYED ONE OF THE MAIN EXHIBITS IN THE AQUARIUM!!!" He shouted.

Suddenly deep laughter broke out, causing all of you to turn to the entrance once again. It was a skeleton much like the one that just walked in, but dressed in darker clothes and had a rather intimidating set of sharp teeth on display. 

"Wait wait wait, you're tellin' me these two marshmallows-" He gestures in your direction. "And long legs over there-" He points to Stretch. "Broke the million-dollar state of the art aquarium exhibit?" He wheezed. "You might as well just have said that Fluffy Bunny came to life and-" Boss' face seemed to become completely engulfed in a deep shade of red. "BROTHER!!! WOULD YOU TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY FOR ONE SECOND?!!!!!!!" He shouted. 

Man, he needs a chill pill or something. You and Astro share a wide-eyed look. Are you both in danger right now?

"Aw, calm down Boss." Boss' brother waved a hand. "I'm plenty serious." He smirked, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Name's Red. Anyone who can make my brother this upset is ok with me." He winked at you, earning another fit of frustrated screaming from Boss. 

"WHY IS EVERYONE SHOUTING?!" The short skeleton from the taco stand exclaimed, rushing through the door. A Taller and much friendlier looking version of Boss behind him. 

"Boss over here is havin' a conniption fit." Red snorts. The friendly-looking skeleton raised a brow. "What On Earth Happened?"

"Ok, ok, everyone calm down. This has been repeated so much even I'm tired of it." Sans said, pushing himself off the counter and walking over to you all. "Stretch and the humans caused a lot of property damage in the aquarium. It was an accident, but, it's still a lotta dough..." 

"And if word got out that a couple of humans trashed the aquarium the media would be all over this place." Red mused. Boss crossed his arms. "PRECISELY! SO PAY UP AND WE WILL ACT LIKE THIS NEVER HAPPENED." 

Astro's eye twitched. "Sure, lemmie just pull the million out of my pocket realll quick." She whispered. "WHAT WAS THAT?" 

"Nothing." 

"Ahem, anyways. Yeah, there you have it..." Sans said, shrugging as if all of you were simply discussing the weather. 

It was silent for a long while when the friendly-looking skeleton finally spoke up. "May I Propose Something?" He asked. "I SUPPOSE." Boss squinted. 

"What If They...Worked Off Their Debt? Then No One Has To Call The Press And No One Has To Pay Out Of Pocket." He offered. 

...

"How do you expect us...to work off a million dollar debt?" You questioned. "Well, Anything You Earn Would Go Towards Paying Off Your Debt, And The Mall Pays Very Well. It Actually Wouldn't Take Too Long....I Don't Think?" The skeleton replied. 

"EXCELLENT IDEA PAPYRUS!!!" The short skeleton exclaimed. "WHAT DO YOU SAY, HUMANS?" His blue eyelights trained on you.

You and Astro share another look. "Uhhhhhh...." 

"That this sounds shady as heck?" You replied. Astro nodded.

"But...I guess that works?" Astro did a double-take. "WHAT?!" 

"HMMM.....I SUPPOSE THIS IS ACCEPTABLE. I'LL GET A CONTRACT READY AT ONCE." Boss said, leaving the room for a moment. 

"Y/N, you can't be serious? Just like that?!" Astro blinks at you. You nod. "It's better than being in a million-dollar debt...besides...This place is really cool." 

Boss returned with a contract and you gave it the once over before signing your name. He then handed it to Astro.

...."I'm gonna regret this..." She sighed, signing her name. 

"Yay, co-workers." Stretch teased, throwing his hands up in mock-celebration.

___________

"OK! THIS IS THE LEVEL WHERE ALL OF US WORKERS CAN STAY, AND THIS IS THE LOUNGE! WE EAT, HANG OUT, WATCH TV, AND VARIOUS OTHER ACTIVITIES HERE!" The short skeleton who you now know to be called Blue exclaimed.

After getting a new change of clothes, everyone decided it would be best if you got some rest before actually working for them. Blue thought it would be best if he gave you a tour of the level strictly for the workers. You were beginning to think this mall was like the tardis. It just looked like a regular mall on the outside, but on the inside, it seemed neverending....

"Is that a gaming console?!" You questioned, pointing at the setup under the gigantic tv. "YUP! RED SET IT UP! ALL OF US EMPLOYEES HAVE A GAME NIGHT EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE! MAYBE YOU BOTH CAN JOIN US FOR THE NEXT ONE!" 

"Ehhehehe..yeahh...." You trailed off. Getting together with a bunch of strangers for a game night sounds like the definition of awkward...but you've been through worse situations....

"AND DOWN THIS HALLWAY IS WHERE EVERYONE STAYS! LOOK! THERE'S MY ROOM!" Blue exclaims, pointing a gloved hand down the comically long hallway to a door with a big hand drawn sign on it. When you squint you can barely make out the 'BLUE'S ROOM' in big loopy letters. You let out a breathy chuckle. That was...kinda cute....

"OH, AND THIS IS MY BROTHER'S ROOM! AND THIS IS BOSS' ROOM! SANS' IS OVER HERE AND-" Astro held up a hand. "We get it." She laughed. 

Blue cleared his nonexhistant throat. "RIGHT! AND THESE TWO ROOMS OVER HERE ARE OPEN FOR YOU BOTH!" He said, leading you over to two doors in the middle of the hall. "ALL ROOMS ARE IDENTICAL, SO...JUST PICK WHATEVER! YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE THEM HOWEVER YOU LIKE!!" Blue explained, opening one of the doors to show you a large empty room minus a single bed and dresser. 

"What are the buttons for?" Astro asked, gesturing to a rather large panel on the wall next to the light switches. "OH! LET ME SHOW YOU!" Blue smiles brightly as he presses a few of the buttons. Suddenly the far wall seems to twitch before dissolving and displaying a seaside view. "DECORATIVE WALL! HOLOGRAPHIC AND PERFECT FOR SETTING THE ATMOSPHERE!."

He hits another button and the soft noises of waves lapping against sand dissolved and the image melts into a bright starry sky, the light chirp of crickets echoing against the empty walls. "PRETTY NEAT, HUH?" You nod. "That's actually....amazing." You say. 

"Mwehehe." Blue chuckles softly at your amazed expression. "I'LL LET YOU BOTH GET SETTLED! YOUR STUFF SHOULD BE ARRIVING SOON!" He smiled widely at you both. "I KNOW THESE AREN'T IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES BUT....I HOPE YOU'LL LIKE IT HERE!" He beams. 

You return his smile and nod. "I'm sure it will be...nice." You say. He nods and waves, leaving you and Astro alone.

"So...Now what?" You ask. Astro shrugs. "They did say that the hotel is accessible on all levels of the mall...We could go exploring some more..." She mused. You grinned, an idea popping into your head. 

She squints at you. "What's that look for??"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter wasn't too lackluster! I needed to cut it off here or else what I had originally had planned would have made this chapter unnecessarily long.


	3. The One With Lots Of Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Running through the mall at night leads to meeting interesting people....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the t w o m o n t h wait 😭 
> 
> My brain really decided to just stop for a hot second but I'm BACK with a chapter!! 😉✨

“You CAN’T be serious right now.” Astro deadpanned as you frolicked through the empty halls of the mall. “Oh come on! It’s an empty mall! That’s like….the best place to run around!” You exclaimed, relishing in the sound of your voice echoing slightly. “Oh man, the roof glitters even more when the lights are off.” You say, slowing your spinning around to stare up at the glittering rocks. Astro peered up at the ceiling. “Huh, you’re right. They look like stars….” 

**“Y o u l i k e s t a r s, h u h?”**

The both of you screeched, jumping back slightly. Another small skeleton in a star-patterned hoodie stood in front of you, bright eyelights staring back at you. Seriously? Did they just clone all of their employees or something?!!? ….Could monsters clone people?? 

“Do I have you starstruck?” The short skeleton asked, soft voice not sounding nearly as menacing as it was before. You shook your head. “Sorry, you...surprised us.” You said extending a hand. Better to be polite, right? A wide grin broke across the skeleton’s face as he grasped your hand. 

“HOOOONNNNNKKK.” 

You and Astro jump again. 

“Was that...an airhorn?! In your hand?” The skeleton smiled and waved his hand, revealing a small device strapped to it. “Air Horn in the hand trick. It’s always funny. Name’s Orbit, humans. Nice to meet you.” He chuckled, cheekbones turning a light baby blue. Was that….glitter on his face? As the color faded you couldn’t see it anymore so you didn’t pay any mind. “I’m Y/N. This is Astro.” You said, introducing yourself and your friend. Astro gave a small wave. Orbit stuffed his hand back in his hoodie pocket and nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard about you two. Didn’t think I’d see you so quickly, though. What are you both doing out here anyways?” He asks. 

“Oh...well…” You chuckle, rubbing your arm slightly. “Just...exploring?” You offer. He cocks his skull to the side. “Is that a question or a statement?” 

“Yes?” 

He snorts and shrugs. “Doesn’t matter to me either way. Say, since you’re exploring...want to see something cool? You like stars right?” Normally when a stranger says “Do you want to see something cool?” You’d walk the other direction, but he was co-worker….and he was funny. “Sure.” You smile. Astro sighs and shakes her head. “Great. Follow me. I know a shortcut.” He says, walking past both of you. 

You and Astro share a confused look but decide to follow him. Within seconds you swear you blackout for a second and then you’re somewhere entirely different. You stumble back into Astro, who looks just as confused. “Did we….I don’t remember walking through a door...where?!” 

Orbit turns and grins at you. “Shortcut. Wild, huh?” 

“I’ll say…” Astro mused, finally steadying herself and helping you stand upright. “Welcome to the planetarium. Run by yours truly.” He said gesturing to your surroundings then himself. You took a moment to take in the large room you were in, something akin to movie theater seats curved around the room in a large half-circle, slightly angled back to look up at the domed ceiling. “Are we….at the top of the mall??” You questioned. 

“Yup. Welcome to the planetarium.” Orbit repeated. 

“BROTHER!? BROTHER?!??! WHY HAVEN’T YOU LOCK-OH! Hello Humans!” Yet another skeleton shouted, skidding to a stop beside the shorter skeleton. Seriously. Are they all just carbon copied? 

“Bro, these are the two humans we heard about. They like stars.” Orbit said, a small smirk playing on his face. What on earth was that look for?? The taller skeleton seemed to light up like a Christmas tree. 

“REALLY?!?! HUMANS YOU MUST TAKE A SEAT THEN! I’LL SHOW YOU SOMETHING AMAZING! THAT ALL THE OTHER HUMANS HAVE TO PAY AND WAIT FOR HOURS FOR!!” Whether you wanted to or not, you both found yourselves shoved to the nearest set of seats. 

Orbit walked over to you both and sat next to you. “My bro loves doing this for people. I figured it’d be a nice treat for everyone.” 

Suddenly the lights dimmed until the entire room was cast into total darkness. The only thing you could see was Orbit’s big eyelights staring back at you. It was almost eerie….

“HUMANS! ARE YOU PREPARED TO SEE THE MARVELS OF THE NIGHT SKY??” The taller skeleton’s voice called over an intercom. “Uh, ….yeah!” You half-heartedly called. 

This seemed to be all the prompting the skeleton needed because suddenly a thousand stars spread all over the ceiling. You heard the slight humm of fans kicking on and the room started to cool, the sound of crickets chirping coming from the speakers mounted to the wall.

“Behold! The Beautiful Night Sky!” You yelped as you suddenly felt your seats move and rotate to face another part of the ceiling. 

“And this, My Newest Human Friends, Is Ursa Minor!” 

You let out a delighted chuckle. “This is so cool.” Even if you might have gone to a planetarium before, it never gets old….

“And this is Ursa Major! And This One Over Here Is Lynx!” 

  
  


After a half hour of the taller skeleton going over the stars, the effects of light pollution, and the history of the constellations he finally stopped. A dim lighting slowly started to grow around the edges of the ceiling to get your eyes used to the light again. 

“Well? What did you think?” You turned to the skeleton on your left and shot him a big smile. “It was amazing!” You exclaimed. That strange blue glow found its way back on his cheekbones, revealing small glittering dots scattered across his cheekbones. 

Wait….Were those...stars?!?! 

“HUMANS!” All three of you jumped and looked up at the tall skeleton running up to meet you. “What Did You Think?” He asked, hands on his hip bones as if he already knew the answer but wanted to hear it anyways. “It was cool.” Astro said, standing up and rolling her shoulders. 

You followed suit and stretched, back popping a bit. 

Orbit smiled. “That was a good one.” He said standing up and making a big show of stretching, spine making a ‘ _pop pop pop_ ’ noise. 

The taller skeleton rolled his nonexistent eyes. “Brother. Manners.” You raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it. “Well, this was very nice….” You stared up at the taller skeleton. 

“NOVA!” The skeleton exclaimed. 

“Right. Nova. But we should probably head back and get some sleep.” 

“Of Course, Human! I Wouldn’t Want To Keep You From Your Beauty Sleep! Not That You Need It, Mind You!” He gave an exaggerated wink and laughed. 

“I Hope You Dream Of The Stars! He said, patting your shoulder and then running off again. 

“My brother’s cool.” Orbit said. 

You nodded. “Yeah, he is.” You meant it too. He seemed like a cool guy. Very friendly. 

“Well, if it wasn’t late before it is now. Come on. I’ll take you two back.” He said, this time holding out his hand to you. Without thinking, you took his hand. He seemed surprised but smiled nonetheless. “Follow me.” 

And with that, all three of you started walking towards the exit and just like before, it’s like you blacked out and then blinked back into light. You were back in the hallway you were in before. “That’s still trippy.” Astro said, stumbling slightly. Orbit simply chuckled and turned to you. “See you later.” And with a blink of an eye, he was gone and your hand was empty. 

“Yeah, trippy…” you muttered, following Astro back to the rooms. 

_____

“Well well well. Look what the cat dragged in.” A scratchy voice called upon entering the lobby. You stopped and turned to see Red reclining on the couch. “Where’d you two go?” He asked, raising a bonebrow. 

“Oh, well. We met Orbit and he showed us the planetarium.” You responded. Red let out a puff of air. “Twinkles? Yeah, that sounds like pretty boy.” He said as he flicked through different channels. 

“You always agree with whatever strangers want?” He asked, still staring at the screen. 

“Excuse me?” You asked. 

“You didn’t even put up a fight when the contract was brought up. And you just agreed to follow a complete stranger to the planetarium from what you just told me? Not all of us monsters are nice, sweetheart.” He said, voice casual as if discussing the weather. 

“I can handle myself.” You said, crossing your arms. 

Red snorted and finally set the remote down and crossed his arms. “Whatever you say.” And with that he closed his eye sockets and started snoring obnoxiously. 

Astro rolled her eyes. “Just ignore him.” She said walking ahead of you. “Goodnight, Y/N.” She called over her shoulder as she went into her room.

You took one more glance at Red before heading to your own room. You smiled softly as you headed to the controls on the wall and scanned the settings.

Bingo.

With the press of a button, your room darkened and nebulas blossomed across your wall, accompanied by small twinkling stars. 

It was perfect.

You changed into your sleepwear and climbed into the plain white bed in the center of the far wall. 

All of this started with a fish tank, a contract, and a gaggle of skeletons. You smile and close your eyes, snuggling into the blankets. 

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?


End file.
